46 DC VELOCITY MAY 2016
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inside the seat to signal a controller to prevent the truck
from moving and/or handling loads without a driver in
place. Another approach that’s designed for standup
trucks involves two light sensors that span the entry
to the operator compartment. If a sensor is blocked,
indicating that the driver is not correctly positioned or
that an object is in the compartment, the truck will not
travel, says Justin Byma, product manager for very-narrow-aisle products at The Raymond Corp.
; Improved visibility. When an operator can’t clearly
see what’s in front of, behind, above, and adjacent to a
lift truck, accidents are bound to happen. Many manufacturers have therefore given trucks of all types sleeker
profiles and thinner frames with wider openings around
the cabin to improve sight lines in all directions.
Some of the biggest visibility gains in the past few
years have come from mast
designs that make it easier
to see through and around
them yet maintain strength
and stability. This has been a
high priority for many OEMs.
Just one example is Crown
Equipment Corp.’s MonoLift
mast for two of its reach truck
series. The mast offers better
visibility because it is offset
seven inches to the left of the
operator and gets narrower the higher it goes, explains
Jim Gaskell, director of global technology business
development. Another example is the reach carriage on
Crown’s RM series, which is shaped to create a large
window at eye level to provide the operator with a better view of the fork tips and load, he says.
Visibility-enhancing attachments and accessories,
such as mirrors, brightly painted forks, and fork-mount-ed video cameras, have also made a notable contribution to forklift safety. One increasingly popular
option, says Chuck Leone, vice president of Hyundai
Forklift, is a backup camera. Similar to those available
in recent-model cars, forklift cameras improve visibility
behind the vehicle. Operators still need to turn around
and keep watch on what’s going on behind and around
them, of course, but the cameras expand their view
from the floor up, allowing them to clearly see pedestrians and objects that may be below eye level.
Better visibility is not just for the operator, by the way.
Making pedestrians more aware of the presence and
travel direction of nearby forklifts is also important. One
of the most effective visibility tools in recent years is the
“blue light” accessory, says Max Vome, health, safety,
and environment manager at Kion North America Corp.,
parent of Linde and Baoli brand forklifts. This simple
device attaches to the lift truck’s frame and projects a
bright, highly visible blue light onto the floor behind, in
front of, or alongside a moving forklift, as appropriate
for the situation. The light provides an early warning—
by projecting beyond the end of an aisle, for example,
so pedestrians and other lift trucks know that a truck is
coming even though they may not be able to see it yet.
; Lift truck telematics. Telematics (also known as
telemetry) refers to the wireless transmission of data to
or from a mobile asset. Telematics for forklifts and the
technologies used for collecting, sharing, and analyzing
lift truck-related data are becoming increasingly sophis-
ticated. Some systems are offered by independent pro-
viders, such as I.D. Systems and Total Trax, while others
are available through forklift manufacturers, which have
either developed their own
software or partnered with an
independent developer.
Lift truck telematics systems generate easy-to-ac-cess metrics and can be highly effective tools for improving operator safety, say the
experts at Toyota. Depending
on the application, these systems can help fleet managers monitor operators’ driving
habits, track impacts, and collect and store OSHA-required information, among other capabilities. They
also analyze the data, which helps companies identify
individual operators who need additional training.
For example, telemetry systems equipped with oper-ator-checklist capabilities allow operators to easily perform OSHA-required preshift inspections, identifying possible maintenance issues and potentially locking down
units to prevent unsafe operation, says Jay Costello,
director, dealer marketing, for Yale Materials Handling
Corp. (Yale is part of Hyster-Yale Materials Handling Inc.,
which also markets products under the Hyster brand
name.) Units equipped with an identification-card reader
can limit access so only appropriately trained workers
are able to operate specific equipment. Telemetry systems can also alert operators and managers when certifications are near expiration, helping to ensure refresher
training is provided on a timely basis, he adds.
Impact monitoring is one of the most valuable safety
enhancements in fleet telematics systems. Operators
understand that impacts can be easily audited to determine frequency, amplitude, and, ultimately, responsibility. As a result, truck damage and injuries from impacts
generally decrease when a fleet management system is
